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Yesterday’s old news

I totally forgot to post my news update yesterday… so here it is, old news to everyone. LOL!

Random little rants, in no particular order:

– Do NOT scream and shout at a college. The people inside of the building may assume something horrible has happened and come running… only to discover you’re an idiot.

– How can someone be a germaphobe due to their microbiology class, but have no issues with chemicals/pesticides/etc? If you’re going to freak out about the little things that might get inside you and make you sick, the small doses of chemicals in your water that can’t be filtered out should also upset you.

– If I tell you I don’t have the answer to your question, don’t send someone else to ask the same thing. My answer will still be “I don’t know”.

– Why are some artists starting to sing like a poorly-trained noob? In “Roar” by Katy Perry, there’s “Roa-oh-oh-oh-oh-ooor!” three times in a row. In “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus, there’s “wre-eh-eck me” in the chorus. You are NOT a beat box, so you do NOT need to put pauses between your notes. I mean, “Roar” could’ve had a stylized roar. (I’m serious; look up “Wolf” by Meghan Tonjes and see a stylized/sung howl.) “Wrecking Ball” could be melodious instead of skipping on the “wreck me” part; Miley could, I don’t know, sing?

– There should be a suggestion form on ALL county and city websites, and ways to update the websites (using the current tech) should be considered seriously. For example, my county website has foreclosure notices online. However, they only scan the notices once a month; the updated batch is posted as a PDF on their foreclosure page. Between those batches, new notices are submitted to the county; however, you have to drive all the way to the county courthouse to see them. There is NO other way. My suggestion: why not have a clerk scan the documents weekly, daily, or even individually? Having three dozen small PDFs wouldn’t be all that different from one large file; however, you could list them by address on your website, saving unfortunate renters/homeowners the trouble of manually browsing 217 pages of listings. Heck, you could just add an email address for queries on the status of a property, and that’d save us all some time and money.

(As I’m renting a house that’s clearly facing foreclosure soon, I’m very aware of the problems with our county website. I’m the fool driving to the county courthouse to flip through notices. Since I’m not the homeowner, though, I can’t get information from any other source.)

– Why are shoes required in public? My feet don’t drag in any more or less dirt than someone else’s shoes, and they don’t hurt anyone by being naked. The only reason I can think of is liability, i.e. if we allow barefoot people then we’re responsible for keeping our walkways safe for feet. That’s a silly reason, though, because all the dangers to feet (glass, water, rocks, etc.) are already cleared for shoe-protected people. So seriously, other than you being grossed out by my feet, why should I be required to wear shoes in your building/store/office?

I can’t stand parents who leave their children in the car. Period. I’ve seen it done with the windows cracked, as if that made it okay. You have a child. Either get a babysitter, or take the child into the store with you. No excuses!

I agree with this writer’s sentiment, other than the idea that “teens will be teens”. I hated that attitude as a teenager, and I hate it now as an adult. No one, and I mean NO ONE, is automatically excused from bad behavior due to their sex, age, religion, or country of origin.

I think congressional paychecks should be the same as military paychecks. By that I mean, of course, that a government shutdown means you still go to work, but the government hands you IOUs until they get their shit together. Oh, and all those perks (travel, security, per diem) should be put on hold; you don’t get any special benefits for holding up the government, just an IOU for your base pay.

He thought the stroller was just a grocery buggy, so of course it’s not his fault he killed a toddler. Riiiiiiiight. This is why you need to control your temper. He decided to beat up a woman and throw around her goods. He chose to assault someone over a blocked parking spot, and destroy property. It just so happens that the property turned out to be a child. (This is why angry people scare me… they make STUPID, violent decisions.)

Working at a community college, I agree wholeheartedly with Florida’s plan. Let the adult students sink or swim by their own efforts. Have assistance available for those who seek it, and let less college time be wasted on non-credit courses. Really, too many degrees lack any real necessity for math; you don’t use algebra or calculus as an Office Information and Technology specialist. Math is only included in 99% of degree plans out of habit, because we still believe (incorrectly) that everyone needs to be good at a bit of everything.

I’d love to see this committee opinion actually have an affect on OB-GYN care. Then again, many doctors (mine included) are more likely to accept that medicines and hygiene products are “reasonably safe”, ignoring updated studies and ongoing pollution issues. No one on this earth is unpolluted. My goal is to limit the additional pollution I put into my system; other blog posts have explained my efforts to green my routines.

On the other side of the “is it necessary?” coin is vaccination. I believe that standard vaccinations are worth the related risks; they help protect our children and remove diseases from the herd. I recognize they aren’t 100% safe, and I don’t participate in optional vaccines, mostly due to their unfortunate side effects (flu shots = feels like the flu). But my children will be vaccinated, especially with the growing numbers of non-vaccinated kids running around. Let other parents take chances with their children’s health.